Wineries in Mendoza won’t let me lie. This small town on the border with Chile is a giant. At least when it comes to wine. In this region of Argentina alone, about 1 billion liters of wine are produced per year – 10 times more than all Brazilian production.
Number that is only justified with another, also impressive – the metropolitan region of Mendoza holds about 1200 wineries, the second most important business of this Argentine state (the first? Oil!)
Oil does not attract tourists, who prefer to drink some good glasses in wineries overlooking the snowy mountains of the Andes. You can be sure that if you pass through the city, you will visit some wineries and learn all about the miracle of turning grapes into wine. Even if you don’t drink.
To help you in this task, we have made a map of the treasure of the wineries in Mendoza. But first, it’s time to understand what makes Mendoza wines so good.
Map of three wine regions in Mendoza
Mendoza is a desert region where it hardly rains. Add the climate to the ground and high altitude. These are the three factors that make Mendoza a great place for wine production, especially the Malbec type.
Wine production in Mendoza began in the 19th century, coinciding with the construction of the railway between Buenos Aires and that part of the country, which facilitated the distribution of the merchandise. At the same time Argentina received a large influx of immigrants, mainly Europeans, a fact that brought technical capacity for the production of good wines and an increase in the consumer market at the same time.
Today, Mendoza is the fifth largest wine production region in the world and the largest in South America. The more than 1,000 wineries are spread over three areas.
- Maipú – is about 12 km from the city and has several wineries that can be visited on a car or bicycle tour
- Lujan de Cuyo – located about 16 km from the center, concentrates most of the wineries in Mendoza.
- Valle de Uco – is about 1h from the city. To visit the wineries in this region, it is recommended to hire a tour with transportation.
Best time to visit the wineries of Mendoza
Tours at the Mendoza wineries can be done at any time of the year. To see the harvest of grapes, however, the best time is March.
When we were there in September, the weather did not allow us to see the snowy mountains from the wineries. But we see something much more rare: rain. This was an isolated case, since the winter months, between July and September, are usually dry and cold, with temperatures that 0oC and 10oC.
If you don’t care about the cold, this is not an impediment to visiting the city at this time. However, many people go to Mendoza with plans to cross to Chile or at least see the Aconcagua Mirante, which is 112 km from the city.
In summer, from December to March, you will face high temperatures and risk of storms.
How to visit the Mendoza wineries
Most of the wineries in Mendoza offer guided tours of the property, with the right to explain the production of wines, types of grapes and harmonization and tasting included in the value. Some of them also have restaurants where you can order a meal accompanied by the wines produced there.
These tours can be closed directly at the property concierge. Just go there within the visit time of the place. If you prefer, you can close one-day tours that include entry to several wineries, in addition to the transfer to and from the door of your hotel. This is a good way to optimize time and see several wineries at once.
In addition, the advantage of the tours is that you can drink at ease without worrying about the direction on the return. There is also the possibility of closing the transport with the taxis and remis of the city. You can combine a value and a time on the way back.
The best thing is that the tours are not expensive. There are options for only $15 and you can hire in advance.
There are clear, fuller options: private tours, three-day packages with lunch included. A private tour of the Uco Valley, for example, costs about $300 per person, with meals included.
Wineries in Maipú
About 30 minutes from the center of Mendoza, Maipú is the region that traditionally receives the most visitors, both for the proximity and the bike lanes that connect the wineries (and transformed tourism in the region).
We’ve been in that area on two occasions. First, by bike. We visited Bodega Domiciano, a small production handmade winery focused on exporting to Europe. The tour included the tasting of the wines accompanied by explanation and a guided tour of the facilities, which passed from the grape plantation, which unfortunately was dry at that time of the year, to the area of bottle the wines.
Then we went to Mevi, which is 7 kilometers from the region where bikes are rented. Just like other wineries, Mevi serves lunch. But no one shows up to tell you about tannins and grapes. You get the glasses and a paper indicating which wine is which and stays free to enjoy your drink. This can be a disadvantage. As I had already seen other presentations, I found it even good to be able to taste the drink on my own.
As it already passed the lunch hour, we took the opportunity to order a pasta to accompany the tasting. In Mevi, if you order two meals also take a bottle of wine.
To reach Maipú on your own, just take the bus 10, lines 171, 172 and 173.
During the tour organized with the agency, we also visited the Vistandes bodega. As a name indicates, the highlight of this winery – which is at the entrance of Maipú – is a spectacular view of the Andes Mountains. It is a pity that just on the day of our visit rolled only a spectacular view of the Cordage covered by clouds itself. “Ill with you to the “a ” & . . “”””””’I”””””””””””””””””’s”
Finally, we were in the Cavas of Dom Arturo, a family enterprise. The tour is always done with someone in the family and makes clear the differences in production between a large industrial winery and a small, almost handmade. All the wine of Dom Arturo is sold in the winery itself. That is, his only chance to prove it is by visiting the place.
In addition to wineries, in Maipú there are museums and olive oil factories. The agency tour usually includes stops in one of these places. It is also possible to visit them on their own, on the bike tour, with the right to taste and the tour of the place.
Other prominent wineries in Maipú are the Zuccardi and Trapiche Family.
Cycling by the wineries of Mendoza
Drinking and driving do not match. Unless, of course, you are talking about Argentine wines and bike direction. Pederated through the wineries that extend at the foot of the Andes is a popular promenade in the Mendoza region, more specifically in Maipú.
Maipú is very small and it seems that he lives only from the bodegas and olive oil production factories. As soon as we got off the bus, we went looking for a bike shop. The friendly Hostel Lagares, where we stayed, offers free bike rental for guests who stay there for more than three days.
But there are several bike shops in Maipú. The rent costs about 13 dollars to spend the day cycling through the exotic landscapes of the region and also includes the helmet and a bottle of toast wine, which you receive when delivering the bike at the end of the day.
When it comes to picking up the bikes, you also get a map of the region. The staff explain the distance between the wineries, which of them serve lunch, opening hours and other useful information for your tour. There are, in total, 10 points of interest for you to visit in the surroundings of Maipú, which include, in addition to the wineries, a chocolate factory, the Wine Museum and an olive oil factory.
Before you fall by cycling around, take a study on the map and plan your day, remembering that you have to return the bike until 6 p.m. and that most of the attractions close around that time or a little earlier.
Choose two or three places that draw your attention to compose your script. For the safety of the cyclist, I suggest no more than two bodegas on that day.
In Maipú, drivers and pedestrians are already used to these tours. So it’s safe to pedal over there. Much of the main highway has a bike path and in the cross streets the traffic of vehicles is very small. Even so, it is worth being attentive, especially when you are forced to share the space with vehicles. Beware of the buses. One of them almost threw me on the sidewalk.
Wineries in Luján de Cuyo
Region also very close to the city center and with hundreds of bodegas. What separates Maipú from Luján de Cuyo is only a highway. It is possible to take a bus in the center of Mendoza and walk everything by bike. Among the region’s recommended wineries are Lagarde and Clos de Chacras, a smaller winery.
In addition, in Luján de Cuyo are Bodega Norton – a wine brand that we find several times in our wanderings around the country and that is sold in Brazil for 10 times the price charged in Argentina. Most of the tours around this region there, but as it is crowded, it may not have any more vacancies on the date of your trip. Consider booking the tour of Lujan de Cuyo in advance.
Other wineries worth noting are Catena Zapata and, of course, Chandon. This is one of the most crowded wineries in Mendoza. If you want to visit it, it is advisable to book the tour in advance. Find out more here.
Wineries from the Uco Valley
The most distant of the wine regions of Mendoza. And also the youngest. About 100 kilometers separate the city from the Valle de Uco, which makes there are few organized tours there, which leaves the prices of the tour a little more expensive. Because of the distance, it is also not feasible to make a turn-around on your own, using public transport.
For good lovers, the visit is worth it. Winery developed in the Uco Valley because of the altitude. As the region is closer to the Cordira, the grapes produced there are at higher altitudes (and, say the experts, they are even better). This provoked a run for the Valle, with several wineries starting to produce there in the last decades. If you are going to pass there, be sure to check out the Andeluna, Salentein and Domaine Bousquet, famous for being an organic winery.
For those interested, click here to book the tour to the Uco Valley in advance.
The 10 best wineries in Mendoza
There are more than 1200 Mendonza wineries and about 100 of them receive tourists. With so much variety, it is easy to get lost and not know which of visitors. To help with the selection, we show here which are the 10 best wineries in Mendoza, according to the reviews of the Trip Advisor website. In the links below, you will find the official website of the wineries, with information for visit.
- Bodega Tierras Altas (Lujan de Cuyo)
- Bodega Roberto Bonfanti (Lujan de Cuyo)
- Bodega Familia Cassone (Lujan de Cuyo)
- Bodega Matervini (Lujan de Cuyo)
- Pulenta Estate Winery (Agrelo)
- Bodega Carmelo Patti (Lujan de Cuyo)
- Bodega Budeguer (Agrelo)
- Bodega La Azul (Vale del Uco)
- Bodega Renacer (Lujan de Cuyo)
- Bodega Benegas (Lujan de Cuyo)
Tips to set up your itinerary through the wineries of Mendoza
- Choosing how many wineries to visit in Mendoza depends on you. I visited four, divided in two days, and considered enough. Just keep in mind that it’s not a good idea to do this from a rental car (if you drink, don’t drive. And most likely you will drink).
- After the third winery you will already know everything about the wine production process, which will make the explanatory part of the visits less interesting. On the other hand, tasting never ceases to be a great experience.
- Take the opportunity to visit different types of wineries and thus note how the processes change from one to another. Place on the script a larger winery and another of small, almost handmade.
- As a last tip, keep in mind that it is often not possible to choose which wineries you will visit on tours organized by agencies. Therefore, the ideal is to do this tour before the bike tour. In this way you can choose unpublished wineries when you take the tour on your own.
- Include other activities in Mendoza to diversify your itinerary. The city also has guided tours of breweries and olive wards, as well as nature walks through the beautiful mountains of the region.
Wineries in Mendoza with accommodation
If you would like to have an even more immersive experience in the wineries of Mendoza, consider staying in one of them. The region is full of bodegas which, in addition to offering the tasting tours, also offer accommodation and restaurant service.
Because they are rural accommodations, the places are outside the city center or in one of the wine production centers, such as Lujan de Cuyo and Maipú. Therefore, this type of accommodation is only recommended if you intend to rent a car on your trip. Below, we list some options of wineries with accommodation in Mendoza. For other types of accommodation, read our post Where to stay in Mendoza: best hotels and regions.
Where to stay in Mendoza to visit the wineries
Staying in wineries has its charm, but this is not always possible or practical. In this case, finding accommodation in the center of Mendoza is a good option to save on the budget and be close to the bars, restaurants and commerce of the city. For more information about hotels and regions, read our complete guide to where to stay in Mendoza.
Some good accommodation options in downtown Mendoza are:
National Festival of Harvest: The Wine Festival of Mendoza
Those who have the opportunity to visit Mendoza at the beginning of March will have an over-the-size experience to include in the itinerary: it is at this time that the National Festival of Harvest occurs, the Wine Festival, which celebrates the harvest of grapes in the region.
Always starting on the first Saturday of March, the festival has been taking place for 80 years and, for four days, the city is filled with attractions, between parades of floats, performances of music, theater and dance.
In addition to the cultural program, there are also traditional moments, celebrated by the city residents for decades with the aim of celebrating the production of wine in the region and telling the history of the city. Some of the remarkable moments are the blessing of the fruits, the coronation of the Queen of Vindima and the carousel of the harvest.
At that time, the city is full, so be sure to book your accommodation and the tours in the wineries in advance.
Olive Trees and Breweries to Visit in Mendoza
Wine and not only wine live Mendoza. The city also has several olive colatries where you can go to know more about the production of olive oils; craft breweries and even a chocolate factory.
The Olicola Laur
One of the most popular olive-growing options among tourists is Olivícola Laur (Videla Aranda, 2850 – Maipú), which offers guided tours with tasting and sale of the olive oils produced there, which are awarded in various competitions around the world.
You will be able to see the olive trees up close and even taste a direct of the foot; you will enter the olive oil factory and learn more about the specifics of the oils of Mendoza, you will see the modern and traditional methods of manufacturing and you can taste different types with their proper harmonizations.
Beerries
The craft beer fashion took it hard in Argentina and Mendoza could not be left out. Mendoza has several craft breweries spread throughout its regions. Here are some to visit:
If, in addition to wine, you also enjoy beer and spirits, consider hiring a tour of distilleries and breweries in Mendoza.
Chocolate shops
Mendoza also excels in the production of handmade chocolates and alfajores. The houses of the city offer tastings of the products and tell a little of the history and production of chocolates in the city.
- Chocolezza (Colonel Diaz 343): Family business that produces chocolate and alfarres since 1979, without abandoning the traditional family recipe. They have more than 40 varieties of products and tastings are daily.
- La Cabana (San Martín 2624 ): In operation since 1978, it offers guided tours that go through all the production of chocolates, with tasting of the products. In the branch of the center there is also a gelateria.
Things to do in Mendoza besides the wineries
When you get tired of drinking wine (as if that were possible), how about exploring other parts of Mendoza?
There are several types of tours and tours in the city, most of them involving hiking through the mountains. But you do not need to be frightened, as there are options for all levels of difficulty. You can read more about this in our complete guide on what to do in Mendoza, Argentina.
The most famous tours of Mendoza, in addition to the wineries, are:
- Excursion through Aconcagua Provincial Park
- Visit to the Termas de Cacheuta
- Rafting, horseback riding, trekking and adventure sports in the surroundings.
Travel insurance to Argentina
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